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Women have traditionally been raised to believe that heart disease is a condition which affects men and is, therefore, of little concern to them. The frightening truth is that coronary heart disease and heart attacks are the biggest killer of women over 55, accounting for more deaths than all cancers combined. Women are constantly being told to check their breasts as one out of eight women will develop breast cancer and one out of 25 will die. The figures for heart disease are disturbing at best – one in every three women will die from heart disease or a heart attack. There is a lower risk for women before menopause as the body’s natural oestrogen levels help protect against the illness but diabetes will double your chances of developing heart disease; using oral contraceptives makes you 40 times more likely to suffer from the disease; and a smoker is six times more likely to suffer than her non-smoking counterpart, and more at risk of dying.
What is startling is that in the 21st century women are still struggling to be treated as equals when they visit their family G.P. A man is twice as likely to be sent for tests, whereas as women are frequently being told that they are ‘imagining’ the symptoms. Due to the fact that women are therefore treated far later than men, they are more likely to die. The reason? Doctors aren’t fully aware of the symptoms in women, and, if they don’t know, how are you supposed to recognise the signs yourself? You must learn to listen to the subtle signs your body gives you. For women, the symptoms of coronary heart disease are not the same as men. The tightness of the chest and tingling of the left arm are often absent. If you are suffering any combination of the symptoms listed below, visit your doctor and don’t leave until you are satisfied that you have been tested thoroughly.
- Cold sweats
- Difficulty breathing
- Discomfort in your right shoulder or back
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Pain which spreads to the shoulders, neck or arms
- Paleness
- Palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach or abdomen pain
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness/squeezing or pain in the centre of the chest which lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and then comes back
- Unexplained anxiety
- Weakness or fatigue
An unhealthy diet and smoking are the two contributing factors which you can do something about. Stop smoking, you’ve been told this every day of your smoking life, but if you continue your 20-a-day habit that life will be a lot shorter. Eat right and eat smart; monitor your cholesterol and take no more than 30% of your daily calorie intake from fat. Watch your weight as obesity can increase the strain on your heart making you more prone to heart attack. Exercise regularly as physical inactivity doubles your chances of suffering coronary heart disease. You don’t have to train for the London Marathon; 30 minutes of gentle walking a day will be enough to lower your chances of developing the disease significantly.
A little knowledge can save you life. If you think you are at risk or have been suffering some of the symptoms listed above, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor and demand that you are checked over thoroughly. Don’t feel foolish if you’re wrong and it was something else, but don’t let your doctor fob you off either. It’s not all in your head – women do suffer from heart disease. Women die. Make sure you’re not one of them.
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